Advancements in Solar Technology

Solar technologies have evolved a lot since they were first introduced in the 1960s. Every other day, there is a new technological development in solar technology which overall contributes to the growth of the industry. In 2018, there has been constant innovation and rapid advancement in solar panel technology, wearable solar, energy storage, and design technology. Start your journey to a renewable, sustainable living with the help of Stellar Power, today!

Solar Technology

There are two main types of solar technology: photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP). PV directly transforms sunlight into electricity and CSP uses different mirrors’ configurations to harness the sun’s heat and uses it to generate thermal energy that powers heaters, drives turbines or uses it as a heat source in industrial processes. Just with these two types of solar energy, comes plenty of technical innovations and advancements.

Solar Powered Roads

The solar-powered road is a relatively new and exciting PV technology. Just last summer, solar-powered pavement tests were conducted on America’s historic interstate highway. These roadways can now produce clean energy; besides that, LED bulbs have also been installed on the roads to light them at night, and the thermal heating effect melts snow during winter weather.

Solar Textile

Though wearable solar has already been on the market for a long time, now that includes solar-powered devices and other gadgets. The latest advancement comes in the form of solar textiles (developed by textile designer Marianne Fairbanks and chemist Trisha Andrew) in which small solar panels can now be stitched into the fabric of clothing. The wearable solar-powered watches of the past have typically been made with hard plastic material. Nonetheless, this new concept of solar textiles paves the way for solar technology to penetrate home products like window curtains and even heated car seats.

Solar Batteries

Solar batteries and solar grids systems are gaining popularity rapidly in U.S markets due to its large number of potential uses in electronics and electrical devices. Undoubtedly, the solar batteries can be used as an alternative to your renewable energy storage system that features reliability and longevity.

The great Tesla Powerwall battery, also known as a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that was launched back in 2015, still enjoy the most significant market share and the brand is known for its manufacturing quality and high-performance solar cells. Tesla offers two storage battery products. It is anticipated that a new clean auto behemoth will launch its Powerwall 2.0 product shortly.

Annual Savings by Switching to Solar Technology

According to the US Energy Information Administration, average annual electricity consumption for a US residential utility customer is 10,766-kilowatt hours (kWh) per annum, an average of 897 kWh per month. Multiply that by the national average electricity rate as of November 2017, ($0.1301 per kWh), and you’ll find that the typical American family is spending over $1,401 a year on electricity. This means that if each home were to install enough solar panels to cover their electricity bill then, on average, the savings from installing a residential solar system in America in 2018 would run at least $1,401 per year.